University of Delaware Athletics
No. 23 Delaware Men's Soccer Team Returns Home to Take on UMBC Tuesday
9/29/2014 4:18:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Tuesday's contest will be the 27th meeting between the Retrievers and Blue Hens. The first game between the two programs took place in 1975 and UMBC leads the all-time series 14-9-3. Delaware handed UMBC its only regular season loss last season as the Blue Hens defeated the No. 7 Retrievers 1-0 in double overtime.
“This game is a critical one for us. Remarkably, last year they lost a total of one game throughout the entire season and that was to us in a game I felt they should have got more out of,” said University of Delaware head coach Ian Hennessy.
“UMBC will be motivated to do well and I expect the same from our lads. We have yet to lose a game at home this season and I know the squad is anxious to keep that record intact.”
After losing to Cal and Stanford on the road, Delaware bounced back with a 3-0 victory over Temple in the Blue Hens last time out.
UMBC comes into Tuesday's game with a 3-4-2 record and is winless in its last five games. The Retrievers have yet to win a game on the road this season and fell to No. 20 George Mason 3-0 in their last game.
Delaware (7-2) is undefeated at home this season where the Blue Hens rank No. 58 in the country in home attendance.
UD possesses one of the most potent offenses in the country. With 2.67 goals per game, the Blue Hens boast the No. 3 scoring offense in the nation.
Guillermo Delgado, who is first in the Colonial Athletic Association and tied for fifth in the country with seven goals on the season, leads the Blue Hens high-scoring attack. Although Delgado is off to a great start for UD, the Blue Hen offense is not a one-man show.
Jaime Martinez leads the team with four assists and has also notched four goals this season. Joe Dipre has also tallied four goals this season and has two assists.
The Retrievers average 1.55 goals per game and Kay Banjo leads the UMBC offense with four goals and three assists this season. Geaton Caltabiano is second on the team with three goals and Mamadou Kansaye has tallied two goals and three assists this season.
Delaware is ranked No. 23 in the Top Drawer poll and No. 26 by College Soccer News. The Blue Hens were No. 23 in last week's NSCAA Top 25 with a new poll to be released Tuesday afternoon.
The game between the Blue Hens and Retrievers is set to begin Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. at Stuart and Suzanne Grant Stadium.
